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Families under Stress VHL is not caused by stress. Having a disease like VHL induces stress. Having a parent, child, sibling, spouse, or friend with VHL creates stress. Add this to the stress you normally live with in your life, and you have a potentially harmful level of stress. Eating well, keeping our bodies healthy and strong, is good for everyone, and is especially important for every member of a family affected with VHL. For the affected individual, it is important to see yourself first as a healthy person, with an annoying condition you have to keep an eye on and deal with as necessary. For all members of the family, it is important to deal constructively with the range of emotions that will surface, as well as the many stresses — physical, emotional, and financial — that come with dealing with a serious illness. As a parent or spouse, it is easy to get caught up in self-sacrifice, spending long hours at hospitals, robbing yourself of sleep. Remember that on an airplane, when they give you the instructions about putting on those oxygen masks, they always say to put on your own mask first, then assist your child. If you pass out, what good are you to the person you want to help? It is critically important to the health of your loved one that you stay healthy. It’s not selfish, it’s common sense. Dr. Herbert Benson and his associates at the Mind/Body Medical Institute at the New England Deaconess Hospital and Harvard Medical School, have done extensive research into the relationship between mind and body. The things you do every day — even the things you think about — contribute to your health profile. Their experience indicates that the way we think can aggravate symptoms, interfere with healing, and hinder our self-improvement. "The secret," says Dr. Benson, "is understanding how your body and mind work together, and then using them to improve your health and sense of well-being." In their clinic in Boston and in cooperation with physicians around the world they have devised techniques which can be used to treat and deal more effectively with insomnia, high blood pressure, infertility, cancer, AIDS, and many other conditions. They have proved that patients with healthy attitudes and strong spirits respond more rapidly and more completely to the treatments prescribed by their doctors. Using relaxation techniques in the hospital, surgical patients require less pain medication and recover more rapidly from surgery. They have recently compiled a workbook which people can use at home. "The reader can easily follow the provided information as well as the numerous examples and exercises," says Dr. Alice Domar, a Senior Scientist at the Mind/Body Medical Institute. "It is designed to be very interactive. There are chapters on numerous relaxation techniques, multiple stress-management strategies, information on nutrition, easy, safe exercise suggestions, and special chapters on certain medical conditions." Some people find it useful during relaxation to envision the outcome they want for their treatment. Since VHL involves the loss of one tumor-suppressor gene, you might choose an image where your other tumor-suppressor genes take over the job of the missing one. Family members should begin with strong visions of themselves, and add strong images of healthy eyes, spinal cords, and organs in their loved ones if they wish. VHL is a stressful challenge to any family. Stress management techniques, such as those compiled by the Mind/Body Medical Institute, help you maintain control of your real life, put VHL and other issues into the minor position they deserve, and stay well. The Wellness Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Maintaining Health and treating Stress-related Illness by Herbert Benson, M.D., et al., Hardcover, 480 pages, $24.95. Birch Lane Press/Carol Publishing Group. 1-800-447-BOOK.
as published in March 1993, VHLFF 1:1 |
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